Collapsible hat-box.



N0- N9349- v PATBNTED SEPT. 29, 1903. J. PRYE.

GOLLAPSIBLE HAT BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1903.

I0 MODEL.

1H: nonms pzrsns co, PHOTOAJTHOW WASHMGTOhZ o. c.

tie. 73 3,8219.

Tatented September 29, 1905;.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FRYE, or TORONTO, oANA'DA.

COLLAPS'IB'LE HAT-BOX.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,849, dated September 29, 1903.

- Application filed February 5, 1903. Serial No. 142,107. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES FRYE, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Hat-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsible hat-boxes; and the object of the invention is to devise a box of this class which may be readily inserted in a trunk or a large grip when the hat is being used, and thereby avoid the necessity of carrying around the hatbox separately; and it consists, essentially, of a hat-box tapered in form and having telescopic sections which are normally held in the expanded position by struts, which are hinged at the bottom of the box and the upper ends of which extend through holes in the uppermost section, the parts being arranged and constructed in detail as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my hatbox complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the box, showing it expanded as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing it collapsed. Fig. 4 is a detail of the cover in the reverse position.

, In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

It will be noticed that the form of the hatbox is substantially the usual form-that is, reverse-cone-frustuni-shaped or tapered.

A is the bottom section, B, O, and D the intermediate sections, and E the top section, and F the lid, which is provided with the usual strap f. p i

It will be noticed that each of the sections starting at the bottom fitswithin the section immediately above and when in theexpanded position the joints are tight. In order to hold it in the expanded position, I provide the struts E, which are hinged at e to the. bottom of the hat-box and are provided at the top with bent ends 6, having knob-shaped terminals o The struts E are thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2, when the hatbox is in the expanded position, and the terminals are forced through the holes 6 in the top section, as indicated in the drawings, and

thereby hold the box from collapsing.

When it is desired to collapse the box, the struts, being of spring metal, may be pulled out at the center, so as to shorten the length to the hole 6, whereupon the terminals e may be readily drawn through the hole and the struts thrown down into the position shown in Fig. 3, when the hat-box may be collapsed, as also indicated in thisfigure.

G is a cover, which is made of linen or light leather or any other suitable flexible material, being fastened by glue, cement, or other suitable means to the top section, which has substantially vertical walls instead of inclined, as in the other sections. The cover G fits tightly over the tapered sections and bottom of the box, so that to all appearances the hat-box is of the usual form. When collapsed,however,it assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, the cover in this case becoming wrinkled or gathered.

The lid F is provided with the usual de* pending flange f. F represents clips, four in number, which are suitably pivoted near the flange f and are provided with holes f*. f represents elastic strips suitably fastened in one clip F and have a hook f at the oppo site end, whereby they may be detachably fastoned in the hole f of the diametrically op posite clip F. The clips F, with the crossstrips f are designed to hold an opera or crush hat beneath the lid. The clips are raised at their inner end, so that the rim of the hat may be inserted underueaththe same.

In order to insert the hat in position, the

the clips given a quarterturn toward the flange of the lid,.when the hat may be placed in position with the rim close to the'clips, and the clips may be' then given a quarter-turn backwardly over the rim and the end of the strips f hooked, and thereby the crush-hat may be held securely in position.

Such a hat-box as I describe, it will be readily understood, willvbe convenient to travelers on account of it being readily'placed in a trunk or large grip when the silk hat is in use.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a hat-box, a plurality of concentric sections designed to fit one into the other when collapsed or expanded, and the struts hinged within and at the bottom of the hat- 'ends of the strips f have to be unhooked and sectionsv designed to fit one into the other when collapsed or expanded and a flexible covering fastened to the uppermost section, and fitting tightly the lowermost sections when the box is in the expanded position, and

loosely such sections when it is in the collapsed position as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES FRYE. Witnesses:

B. BOYD, M. MCLAREN. 

